View Full Version : What are your fears while hiking?
Shutterbug
07-31-2009, 15:48
After reading the thread about the hiker who died in the Grand Canyon, I reflected on my greatest concerns while hiking. I concluded that there are really only three:
Dehydration -- A lot of the places I hike are hot and dry. Making sure I have enough water is always near the top of my list of concerns.
Falling -- Perhaps it is because I took a nasty fall a few years ago, but I often think about how long it will take to be found if I take a fall off the edge of the trail.
Hypothermia -- I don't hike a lot in the winter, but start early in the spring and into the fall. I pay attention to staying warm and dry.
What are your fears when hiking?
My only fear is dehydration. I don't have a colon and dehydration can set in very quickly - especially if I get a stomach bug.
Chaco Taco
07-31-2009, 16:12
Running out of water, not dehydration, just running out.
neighbor dave
07-31-2009, 16:25
:-?that the trail isn't long enough and that with every step i take, i'm closer to going back to what i was trying to get away from:eek:
Jim Adams
07-31-2009, 16:27
Being a paramedic I don't seem to worry too much about illness as you kinda constantly assess your health everyday. I don't worry too much about serious injury because I use enough common sense to keep me out of those situations most of the time. I guess that in the back of my mind I'm always concerned about being lost but have never had to seriously worry about that either.
I'm not kidding here but probably my most serious worry is whether I will not get to town in time for food / beer / whiskey.
geek
Lone Wolf
07-31-2009, 16:41
What are your fears when hiking?
hiking 25 miles to a town and finding the beer store closed
Plodderman
07-31-2009, 16:42
No great fears but have had a few hikes when water sources were dry.
Being trapped in a shelter during a severe storm with Jack and Warren! :eek:
Cannibal
07-31-2009, 16:50
Severe injury and someone finding my nice little stealth spot.
saimyoji
07-31-2009, 17:14
Being trapped in a shelter during a severe storm with Jack and Warren! :eek:
if you asked nicely warren might let you sleep in his van. :)
gravy4601
07-31-2009, 17:21
hiking 25 miles to a town and finding the beer store closed
yeah Wolf that scares me to
hiking to my cache and finding the liquor missing
I don't worry while hiking except during lightning storms since the trail usually follow ridges.
summermike
07-31-2009, 18:20
Being severely injured and not being able to get help. I hate to say it but I may start hiking with my cell phone. :rolleyes:
Jim Adams
07-31-2009, 18:45
Being severely injured and not being able to get help. I hate to say it but I may start hiking with my cell phone. :rolleyes:
Quit driving...its far more dangerous!:-?
geek
I know this doesn't happen all too often, but venemous snake bites. Typically I spend most of the time watching my footing to avoid injury and not watching what might be laying on the trail ahead. What do you do if you get bitten, there's no cell reception, no one is around to help you, and you are not within a mile of a town? What do you do? What DO you DO?
Shutterbug
07-31-2009, 18:56
I know this doesn't happen all too often, but venemous snake bites. Typically I spend most of the time watching my footing to avoid injury and not watching what might be laying on the trail ahead. What do you do if you get bitten, there's no cell reception, no one is around to help you, and you are not within a mile of a town? What do you do? What DO you DO?
I almost stepped on one last year. He was hard to see. Fortunately, I heard his rattle and jumped back just as he struck.
chknfngrs
07-31-2009, 19:04
running out of water seems common.
I ran into two older gents' last summer in PA who ran out of water. They didn't ask us for it, but my brother and I gave them a nalgene because they looked rough.
johnnybgood
07-31-2009, 19:11
hiking 25 miles to a town and finding the beer store closed
....and you must sleep in a crowded hostel.:D
Quitting.
Sitting my butt down in the middle of the trail, deciding that I cannot, will not, go on another single step, and giving up.
Nah, I don't really FEAR that, it's more like that would be a worst of the worst scenario - I don't fear it because I don't believe myself capable of giving up - maybe just wishing I could quit.
No, biggest fear would be coming home from a long hike and finding my wife with another man and my kids calling some one else "Daddy". I shudder at the thought. I don't believe that possible or likely either - but then I'm not on my first marriage.
Ranc0r
.
Lone Wolf
07-31-2009, 20:53
Quitting.
Sitting my butt down in the middle of the trail, deciding that I cannot, will not, go on another single step, and giving up.
Nah, I don't really FEAR that, it's more like that would be a worst of the worst scenario - I don't fear it because I don't believe myself capable of giving up - maybe just wishing I could quit.
No, biggest fear would be coming home from a long hike and finding my wife with another man and my kids calling some one else "Daddy". I shudder at the thought. I don't believe that possible or likely either - but then I'm not on my first marriage.
Ranc0r
.i could write a book on the hikers that were cheated on when they were away or cheated on the trail while a spouse was back home. it happens a LOT
Lone Wolf
07-31-2009, 20:56
....and you must sleep in a crowded hostel.:D
oh god! the horror!
Gettig rid of the fears. Got some concerns though. I'm concerned that I always appreciate life, that I never take anything for granted, and I make the time to give something back.
SouthMark
07-31-2009, 21:13
On a recent hike in Maine I commented that I did not know which I feared the most, my hiking partner being severely injured in a fall and me having to leave her alone while I had to hike out and seek help or me being severely injured in a fall and having to be left alone while she hiked out for help.
Desert Reprobate
07-31-2009, 21:39
The churches in the Mountains.
Pastor: "Let us pray. Here's your snake."
fiddlehead
07-31-2009, 22:04
Breaking a guitar string and not having a spare.
Seriously, it would probably be whether my family is ok.
Nothing much in the woods to scare you.
I would have said water, but now I'm more worried about my body letting me down.
Knee joints seem to be becoming an issue.
Breaking a guitar string and not having a spare.
Seriously, it would probably be whether my family is ok.
Nothing much in the woods to scare you.
pretty much nailed it right thar
Chaco Taco
07-31-2009, 22:33
oh and running into this guy and having to have a conversation with him. Terrifying
:bse
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=34492&catid=member&imageuser=17846
Lone Wolf
07-31-2009, 22:35
oh and running into this guy and having to have a conversation with him. Terrifying
:bse
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=34492&catid=member&imageuser=17846
that slingblade dude
chaco, i don't know if you caught it, but i came within hours of running into him in the whites a couple of weeks ago. scary, yes, but at least i wouldn't have to worry about my catholes being disturbed. :)
CrumbSnatcher
07-31-2009, 22:47
i leave for a 3 week hike real soon,im excited to go!,but having doubts as soon as i bought the ticket. felt guilty because now i have a family and im worried i will not be able to handle missing my ole' lady and daughter. hiking all day long thinking about how your 22 month old daughter not understanding what happened to you. where'd daddy go?
FlyPaper
07-31-2009, 22:56
I fear hypothermia.
Also, I fear a trip altering minor injury. Since I section hike and have a set distance over 3 or 4 nights, a minor ankle sprain, while not life threatening can end the hike early and possibly force a buddy to end his hike early too so he could assist me.
i leave for a 3 week hike real soon,im excited to go!,but having doubts as soon as i bought the ticket. felt guilty because now i have a family and im worried i will not be able to handle missing my ole' lady and daughter. hiking all day long thinking about how your 22 month old daughter not understanding what happened to you. where'd daddy go?
you're worried about three weeks?? that ain't selfish, it's necessary. your young family needs you to be sane and besides it's your life, live it and set an example for them. :cool:
saimyoji
07-31-2009, 23:28
none of these fears are any different from anything a person might feel when away from the people/person they care about for any length of time....be it on the trail, on a business trip abroad...whatever.
I'd probably read LW's book though. :cool:
I almost stepped on one last year. He was hard to see. Fortunately, I heard his rattle and jumped back just as he struck.
That is of concern when I hike alone. Have to keep your eyes open and paying attention. Accidents are accidents, don't listen to anyone who is full of themselves and thinks it can't happen to them.
Monster13
07-31-2009, 23:38
Hiking with someone and (me) making a decision that puts them or both of us in a life threatening situation.
ChinMusic
07-31-2009, 23:42
ticks......
That would be mine as well. More specific.....deer ticks. Getting bit, not knowing it, having no signs, not having early symptoms only to see the effects later.
hiking with adults is one thing. taking responsibility for a bunch of scouts is another. always happy to come back with nothing more than wet boots and dirty gear.
summermike
08-01-2009, 01:57
Quit driving...its far more dangerous!:-?
geek
If I'm injured in my car there's a very good chance I summon help. In the wilderness, not so much. It's not the injury that worries me, it's not being able to get help. That's a situation than can turn bad very quickly.
rpenczek
08-01-2009, 09:50
Gotta agree on being worried with the Scouts. I fear taking them on a really great trip and one of them does something very youthful (read stupid), gets hurt badly and my good deed (taking them on a cool trip) gets me in hot water with the parents.
On my hike up Big K (not with Scouts) I thought quite a bit about whether or not I would take the boys on that hike. I was firmly on NO when at the summit I saw a group of 6 Boy Scouts (all first year scouts - 11 years old) and I changed my mind.
Hmmm, someone once said, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Perhaps that quote translates into "Just Hike it."
Shutterbug
08-01-2009, 11:50
Gotta agree on being worried with the Scouts. I fear taking them on a really great trip and one of them does something very youthful (read stupid), gets hurt badly and my good deed (taking them on a cool trip) gets me in hot water with the parents.
On my hike up Big K (not with Scouts) I thought quite a bit about whether or not I would take the boys on that hike. I was firmly on NO when at the summit I saw a group of 6 Boy Scouts (all first year scouts - 11 years old) and I changed my mind.
Hmmm, someone once said, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Perhaps that quote translates into "Just Hike it."
Thanks for sharing, your responses make me think I may be more normal than I thought.
Used to be afraid of Hypothermia. Have had it twice. Not afraid anymore.
Used to be afraid of getting hurt, even dying, Now, fear of not hiking overrides that.
Used to be afraid of running out of fuel. I have no reason for this, I have been starting campfires for over 50 years, but for some reason (stupidity I guess) I felt that I HAD to cook on my stove. I finally stopped thinking that & now "No worries".
Used to be afraid of quitting. I have figured out how to avoid that (barring disaster) so now I am cool.
Used to be afraid of running out of water, Oh, yea, I still worry about that. :p In fact, most times I carry way too much of the wet stuff.
It seems some major, unexpected or unplanned expense hits almost every time I'm on one of my week-long hikes. I can pretty much count on it. Like a major car repair, major home appliance goes out and has to be replaced. So I fear calling the wife and her saying, "Guess what happened today?" :eek:
Other than that, what fiddlehead said, not much to fear in the woods. I guess falling . . . breaking a hip or something is kinda way back in the back of my mind. :-?
daddytwosticks
08-01-2009, 13:11
One of my biggest fears...completing a hike and arriving back at my vehicle to find it vandalized. Oh yeah...and it's getting dark, the parking area is empty, and you have to walk 6 more miles down a forest service road to arrive at a lonely country road. Then you have to hitch 10 more miles into a town. :(
The first thing I do when setting up my hammock or tarp is to look up^. I don't ever want to be impaled by a tree limb while I'm sleeping that could ruin the whole trip..
Blue Jay
08-01-2009, 14:34
I've found that hikers and backpackers have very few fears if any. I've also found internet people are afraid of almost everything. A good example of this is lately I've been day hiking into shelters in Mass. and Vermont. I've seen very few tents due to rain and full shelters. Thru hikers are rarely afraid of shelters while internet people have long lists of fears about them. Hikers are rarely afraid of bears as they see them quite often, after all they are in the woods. Internet people are terrified of bears. How the *&^ can you be afraid of dehydration, a bear (or anything else) rarely holds you down and keeps you from drinking water.
Nasty Dog Virus
08-01-2009, 14:42
No fears when I'm hiking alone...
it's when my 9yo son is with me that I'm on heightened alert. He'll hike with me in remote St. Forest Land where there is no cell signal and no roads or houses for miles. I'm afraid to let him hike ahead of me b/c I'm afraid a rattlesnake is going to get him from under a rock. I know he is more likely to be injured many other ways but its the darn rattlesnakes that worry me.
Blue Jay
08-01-2009, 14:42
I know this doesn't happen all too often, but venemous snake bites. Typically I spend most of the time watching my footing to avoid injury and not watching what might be laying on the trail ahead. What do you do if you get bitten, there's no cell reception, no one is around to help you, and you are not within a mile of a town? What do you do? What DO you DO?
What do you do is do not be drunk when you are anywhere near where a snake will be. The second thing to do is if you happen to be drunk is to not get drunk enough to pick the snake up. Most snake bites involve alcohol and the hand.
a broken ankle is at the top of my list, followed closely by snake bite. those would be devastating out there
Blue Jay
08-01-2009, 15:03
I do have a fear on the trail but it's the same in cities. I fear dog people as I have been attacked by "friendly" dogs. Dog people usually yell "it's OK, he/she is friendly" right before the dog's teeth enter your skin. I still like dogs, I fear the people who knowingly put them in very wrong situations.
Shutterbug
08-01-2009, 16:13
How the *&^ can you be afraid of dehydration, a bear (or anything else) rarely holds you down and keeps you from drinking water.
When I say I fear becoming dehydrated, what I mean is that I fear running out of water. One can misjudge their food and survive long enough to overcome the situation. Misjudge the water and one gets in trouble quickly.
More than once I have arrived at a planned water source to find that it had dried up. Being 10 miles from drinking water on a hot day with an empty water bottle is enough to cause any sane person to be afaid.
Maybe it isn't as much of an issue while hiking the AT, but those of us who hike in the west tend to worry about the water sources. When we meet someone on the trail coming from the other direction, the first questions is often "How far to the next water?"
Because of my fear of dehydration, I usually carry an extra bottle of water. There have been several times I was really glad I had that extra water.
Shutterbug
08-01-2009, 16:17
The first thing I do when setting up my hammock or tarp is to look up^. I don't ever want to be impaled by a tree limb while I'm sleeping that could ruin the whole trip..
I know what you mean. I remember one time I set up my hammock in a hurry and didn't realize until I was in the hammock that I had tied off to a dead tree. I got up and moved the hammock because I was concerned that the whole tree might fall.
Wise Old Owl
08-01-2009, 16:20
Well Shutterbug running out of water has happened to me on Mt Minsi once - got down to nothing after topping and had six more miles to the shelter source. those mosquito infested pools were looking real good after a while.
My fear is Frostbite while sleeping. I got it a couple of times and it takes a long time to heal.
When I say I fear becoming dehydrated, what I mean is that I fear running out of water. One can misjudge their food and survive long enough to overcome the situation. Misjudge the water and one gets in trouble quickly.
I ran out of water once when I was hiking with my dog during a drought. I was more concerned for the dog and getting him back then me.....
We kept hiking slowly, and all of the sudden he smells the ground and starts digging a hole right on the trail - about 5 inches under the dry ground was water in his hole ! no joke. He drinks it up and starts walking again.
Guess you can learn something every day, even from a Border Collie..
Jonnycat
08-01-2009, 16:38
:-?that the trail isn't long enough and that with every step i take, i'm closer to going back to what i was trying to get away from:eek:
I really like that.
kayak karl
08-01-2009, 17:04
What are your fears when hiking?
Other people! not hikers. those people that drive through the woods at 3am. they make me nervous. i try to never camp near a road.
in Jersey its the pineys in their trucks with shotguns and spotlights jacking deer.
ShelterLeopard
08-01-2009, 17:30
After reading the thread about the hiker who died in the Grand Canyon, I reflected on my greatest concerns while hiking. I concluded that there are really only three:
Dehydration -- A lot of the places I hike are hot and dry. Making sure I have enough water is always near the top of my list of concerns.
Falling -- Perhaps it is because I took a nasty fall a few years ago, but I often think about how long it will take to be found if I take a fall off the edge of the trail.
Hypothermia -- I don't hike a lot in the winter, but start early in the spring and into the fall. I pay attention to staying warm and dry.
What are your fears when hiking?
My greatest fear is that sometime in the dark of night, a gremlin will replace all my snickers and pasta with granola. I HATE granola and it makes me gag. I actually am being serious- greastest fear is being stuck with no food but granola and P-milk.
flemdawg1
08-01-2009, 18:05
Getting lost. Yesterday I walk off the trail to take a dump. I see the ridge 50 yds away and then walk up to see if there's a view. I take the wrong angle back downhill and am paniced for about 3 minutes until I come out 500 yds from where I exited.
Dehydration. Sectioning in NC last year taught me to never completely trust that the next source will be there.
medicjimr
08-01-2009, 18:29
Fears either an aggressive copperhead or rattlesnake. I figure this is the only fears I don't have control over. I can dress accordingly to prervent either hyper or hypothermia. and I can make sure I stop and fill my containers to prevent dehydration. Snakes make up there own mind.
Chaco Taco
08-01-2009, 19:30
Oh I got one, getting my pack stolen!!!!
I've found that hikers and backpackers have very few fears if any. I've also found internet people are afraid of almost everything. A good example of this is lately I've been day hiking into shelters in Mass. and Vermont. I've seen very few tents due to rain and full shelters. Thru hikers are rarely afraid of shelters while internet people have long lists of fears about them. Hikers are rarely afraid of bears as they see them quite often, after all they are in the woods. Internet people are terrified of bears. How the *&^ can you be afraid of dehydration, a bear (or anything else) rarely holds you down and keeps you from drinking water.So are you saying backpackers cannot also be "internet people" also? I'm an "internet people" but I'm also a backpacker. WB members are "internet people" but many are also serious backpackers. I think I know where you were wanting this to land, but somehow I feel like it missed the mark! :eek:
sheepdog
08-01-2009, 21:04
running out of snickers
saimyoji
08-01-2009, 21:12
The first thing I do when setting up my hammock or tarp is to look up^. I don't ever want to be impaled by a tree limb while I'm sleeping that could ruin the whole trip..
"widow makers"
good tent site selection skills help this. but sometimes **** happens. falling anything is generally bad. there have been a few people killed in the past few years by falling trees, logs, boulders.....
Chaco Taco
08-01-2009, 21:25
"widow makers"
good tent site selection skills help this. but sometimes **** happens. falling anything is generally bad. there have been a few people killed in the past few years by falling trees, logs, boulders.....
We were in the 100 Mile Wilderness last year at Potaywadjo Spring Lean to and a friend of our came in late in a thunder storm in the dark and threw his tent up. Next morning we hear a loud crack in his general direction and look over and a huge branch had fallen close to his tent. He was lucky as hell
Fears either an aggressive copperhead or rattlesnake. I figure this is the only fears I don't have control over. I can dress accordingly to prervent either hyper or hypothermia. and I can make sure I stop and fill my containers to prevent dehydration. Snakes make up there own mind.
Most American snakes aren't aggressive. You have to get really close to get bitten. Most hikers make enough noise (or ground vibration) to scare the snakes off. You're more likely to see them early in the morning when there haven't been many hikers through their neighborhood, especially in sunny areas.
Oh, my fear? Crazy people. Same as at home. Common sense says keep hiking when you meet them.
I could make something up for folks to be afraid of, with good reason - rabid animals. Size doesn't matter. If they have teeth and see you, you are at risk.
vamelungeon
08-01-2009, 21:47
Widow makers. Limbs and sometimes trees that come down without warning. I've seen and given aid to someone that was hit by a tree that fell for no apparent reason. He died, chest "flailed" was the ER's description. I've been hit by a dead limb falling and rotten wood and a hard head were all that saved me.
ATV's are letting people who wouldn't have gotten to more remote places 10 or 20 years ago show up in places they couldn't possibly get to on foot. That's probably the most dangerous thing in the woods, a drunk dude on a 4 wheeler.
Lone Wolf
08-01-2009, 21:51
a drunk dude on a 4 wheeler.
my kinda people. better than drunk hikers in town any day
vamelungeon
08-01-2009, 21:55
LOL I've got a 4 wheeler I just don't want to get run over by one while I'm sleeping.
Oh I got one, getting my pack stolen!!!!
Have you had your pack stolen before?
[quote=rpenczek;875180]Gotta agree on being worried with the Scouts. I fear taking them on a really great trip and one of them does something very youthful (read stupid), gets hurt badly and my good deed (taking them on a cool trip) gets me in hot water with the parents.
Ha Ha...I remember those scouting days. It's all fun and games until someone chops off a finger (and someone usually did!). Always review some basic first aid before trips and you're good to go :)
TIDE-HSV
08-02-2009, 00:52
I gotta second the "widow-maker" thing. I remember one night, back in the 70s, spent up on Mt. Sterling in the GSMNP, with the wind howling and deadfalls all around. I've done some tree work, living in the middle of acres of trees, but the the worst I've been hurt was cutting down a half-rotten tree for a friend. The top broke off and slid down the remaining trunk, slamming into my jaw. It knocked me backwards several feet and cut my gum tissue down to the bone. I have a lot of respect for trees...
Trailweaver
08-02-2009, 01:53
I don't worry about much. . . probably should worry more than I do. I do worry that I might get injured enough that someone would have to carry me out, and I'd be mightly embarassed if they did. So that's what concerns me - the embarassment, not so much the injury. That's stupid, but there it is. ; - )
Leeches. I don't like leeches.
Close second is snapping turtle.
third place is a compound fracture while everyone is three counties over looking for someone wearing loafers.
Other people! not hikers. those people that drive through the woods at 3am. they make me nervous. i try to never camp near a road.
in Jersey its the pineys in their trucks with shotguns and spotlights jacking deer.
No kidding! I was awakened at 1am by gunfire and atvs buzzing around Governor Clemente shelter in VT. Fortunately, I had read it was a problem area and stealth camped a hundred yards or so away.
Lightning is definitely it for me. Worked on too many rooftops in storms. Gives you a healthy respect for the strength of Mother Nature.
Leeches. I don't like leeches.
Close second is snapping turtle.
third place is a compound fracture while everyone is three counties over looking for someone wearing loafers.
Fortunately for you, not much of a threat on the AT
Wise Old Owl
08-02-2009, 10:42
Leeches. I don't like leeches.
Close second is snapping turtle.
third place is a compound fracture while everyone is three counties over looking for someone wearing loafers.
What leaches? leaches are still used in medicine.
Stop pointing at the snapping turtles and you won't loose your finger....SSHHHHEEEEH!:D
Wise Old Owl
08-02-2009, 10:46
Lightning is definitely it for me. Worked on too many rooftops in storms. Gives you a healthy respect for the strength of Mother Nature.
Yea the house got struck last week and I am still running around replacing my computer power strips, one of them will need to be ripped apart and put back together. Funny when you have multiple smoke sources coming from all the bedrooms.... I have one under every TV and computer. Could have been exspensive.
WILLIAM HAYES
08-02-2009, 11:56
nothing really scares me on the trail but the big city that is a whole different thing
Snowleopard
08-02-2009, 12:52
"widow makers"
good tent site selection skills help this. but sometimes **** happens. falling anything is generally bad. there have been a few people killed in the past few years by falling trees, logs, boulders.....
Lots of widow makers from the December ice storm. Be very careful in your hammock/tent/tarp site selection. Central and Western Mass and southern NH and VT have some patches where all trees are broken. Look up!
max patch
08-02-2009, 13:01
I have this image of coming across a hiker in VA laughing like a hyena with both hands deep into cow piles as he smears them on every rock in sight. Very disturbing.
ShelterLeopard
08-02-2009, 18:04
I think there's a hiker like that inside of all of us... You see a pile of cow manure and what can you do but cackle and make cave paintings with it?
I think there's a hiker like that inside of all of us... You see a pile of cow manure and what can you do but cackle and make cave paintings with it?
Years back I would have sat and watched it to see what sprouts YMMV. :rolleyes:
Anyone have a good idea how to clean oily vinaigrette off the gaps of a keyboard?
I still don't like leeches. Medical or not.
saimyoji
08-02-2009, 18:44
a little ginger-soy marinade and grilled.....hmmmmmm....leaches
Warraghiyagey and
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/columnists/jimbaumbach/blog/manbearpig7po.png
My only fears of the trail
Depending on the intensity and proximity of the impending doom, I have either a distant awareness of, a healthy respect for, some anxiety about, actual fear of, or perhaps mortal panic about:
lightning
bees and bee sting
widowmakers at night
psychos and aggressive drunks
corrupt LEO's
ticks & the diseases they carry
large omnivores and carnivores full of fang and claw
food poisoning
snakes
Most of the time there's nothing to worry about. Why worry?! Be happy!:sun
Homer&Marje
08-02-2009, 21:09
After reading the thread about the hiker who died in the Grand Canyon, I reflected on my greatest concerns while hiking. I concluded that there are really only three:
Dehydration -- A lot of the places I hike are hot and dry. Making sure I have enough water is always near the top of my list of concerns.
Falling -- Perhaps it is because I took a nasty fall a few years ago, but I often think about how long it will take to be found if I take a fall off the edge of the trail.
Hypothermia -- I don't hike a lot in the winter, but start early in the spring and into the fall. I pay attention to staying warm and dry.
What are your fears when hiking?
Not hiking. All other risks considered, and obliged.
Depending on the intensity and proximity of the impending doom, I have either a distant awareness of, a healthy respect for, some anxiety about, actual fear of, or perhaps mortal panic about:
lightning
bees and bee sting
widowmakers at night
psychos and aggressive drunks
corrupt LEO's
ticks & the diseases they carry
large omnivores and carnivores full of fang and claw
food poisoning
snakes
Most of the time there's nothing to worry about. Why worry?! Be happy!:sun
Sums it up. Thread is done.
Chaco Taco
08-02-2009, 21:12
Have you had your pack stolen before?
No but have known people to get their pack stolen and it sucks
Jonnycat
08-03-2009, 07:56
My biggest fear is getting captured by a bigfoot and dragged off to some remote cave to be entertainment for their family.
Also, insomnia. I hate waking up tired in a tent.
Fear is the mind killer. There are lots of ways to become sick or injured on the trail; even little weekend bunny hops are potentially life threatening. Fortune favors the prepared mind. Do your homework, stay in shape, dont take foolish risks, and remember to have fun.
Tipi Walter
08-03-2009, 08:38
I know this doesn't happen all too often, but venemous snake bites. Typically I spend most of the time watching my footing to avoid injury and not watching what might be laying on the trail ahead. What do you do if you get bitten, there's no cell reception, no one is around to help you, and you are not within a mile of a town? What do you do? What DO you DO?
I almost stepped on one last year. He was hard to see. Fortunately, I heard his rattle and jumped back just as he struck.
Over the years I've made up a list of "Things That Can Kill You In The Woods", and it's a short list: Lightning, falling trees and rattlesnake bites(oh, and natural causes like heart attack--stroke, etc). It's good to have a healthy set of eyeballs when backpacking thru rattlesnake country.
One of my biggest fears...completing a hike and arriving back at my vehicle to find it vandalized. Oh yeah...and it's getting dark, the parking area is empty, and you have to walk 6 more miles down a forest service road to arrive at a lonely country road. Then you have to hitch 10 more miles into a town. :(
This is a common fear for me when I pull my 10-14 day trips, and I hate worrying about my car sitting somewhere the whole time, so I usually have my GF drop me off and we plan an evac date.
"widow makers"
good tent site selection skills help this. but sometimes **** happens. falling anything is generally bad. there have been a few people killed in the past few years by falling trees, logs, boulders.....
Widow makers. Limbs and sometimes trees that come down without warning. I've seen and given aid to someone that was hit by a tree that fell for no apparent reason. He died, chest "flailed" was the ER's description. I've been hit by a dead limb falling and rotten wood and a hard head were all that saved me.
ATV's are letting people who wouldn't have gotten to more remote places 10 or 20 years ago show up in places they couldn't possibly get to on foot. That's probably the most dangerous thing in the woods, a drunk dude on a 4 wheeler.
I gotta second the "widow-maker" thing. I remember one night, back in the 70s, spent up on Mt. Sterling in the GSMNP, with the wind howling and deadfalls all around. I've done some tree work, living in the middle of acres of trees, but the the worst I've been hurt was cutting down a half-rotten tree for a friend. The top broke off and slid down the remaining trunk, slamming into my jaw. It knocked me backwards several feet and cut my gum tissue down to the bone. I have a lot of respect for trees...
I was in a North Face dome tent on Marys Rock on the AT in Shenandoah when a dead snag fell onto the tent at night in a howling March windstorm. Luckily, I just stepped out to do some yoga. The thing crushed a side of the tent, broke a pole and ripped the fly. Praise Buddha, yoga saved my life. Another time I was in Pisgah when a massive old limb fell right next to my tent and it spooked me.
Lightning is definitely it for me. Worked on too many rooftops in storms. Gives you a healthy respect for the strength of Mother Nature.
I always worry about sudden lightning storms when I set up on open balds. And I usually go thru the whole litany of pleadings to just let me live thru the night w/o getting fried and if I do I'll give away everything I own and wander as a monk, etc.
Lots of widow makers from the December ice storm. Be very careful in your hammock/tent/tarp site selection. Central and Western Mass and southern NH and VT have some patches where all trees are broken. Look up!
Backpacking thru NC and TN in the upcoming years will be a challenge as all the towering old hemlocks are now dead and soon they will begin to fall, especially during winter ice and wind storms.
superman
08-03-2009, 08:46
I think y'all think too much.:-?
Frick Frack
08-03-2009, 09:23
I think y'all think too much.:-?
I think you are right Superman......
Homer&Marje
08-03-2009, 10:16
I know I don't think enough:D
Speaking of widowmakers, when I was hiking through PA last month a huge branch fell out of a tree and hit the trail about 10 feet in front of me. Scared the crap out of me.... If I had been just a few steps ahead of where I was I might very well have been seriously injured.
Not much you can do to prevent things like that.....
superman
08-03-2009, 11:34
I know I don't think enough:D
Now there you go again...thinking about thinking. Maybe it would work better if you only think when you post? I'm just trying to be helpful.:D
I was in a North Face dome tent on Marys Rock on the AT in Shenandoah when a dead snag fell onto the tent at night in a howling March windstorm. Luckily, I just stepped out to do some yoga. The thing crushed a side of the tent, broke a pole and ripped the fly. Praise Buddha, yoga saved my life. Another time I was in Pisgah when a massive old limb fell right next to my tent and it spooked me.
Ok were gone off the deep end howling storm and you go out to do yoga? Maybe you should be smarter where you sit your tent.
Like 1. Never on a active animal trail
2. Never under dead or semi dead trees
3. Never over a hold that's in the ground that a snake, groundhog, skunk or whatever may live in there.
The heck with bubba used your common senses....
Chaco Taco
08-03-2009, 18:42
I know I don't think enough:D
Yea we know:rolleyes:
The Phoenix
08-03-2009, 18:47
Night hiking alone always freaks me out... my imagination gets the best of me in the dark. Every horror flick I have ever seen consumes my 19 year old brain and a bird ****ting could sound like A.T. Dawn of the Dead style...
Though when I make it to my destination hiking at night I do feel accomplished and it confirms my saying that fear is overrated.
I also don't like night hiking because heading through Civil War territory (between VA and PA) I got pretty freaked out... also almost stepped on a little rattlesnake do to the fact that I was basically sprinting through Gathland State Park.
Homer&Marje
08-03-2009, 19:09
Yea we know:rolleyes:
At least some of us can admit it here on WB. I wouldn't say the majority though:D
saimyoji
08-03-2009, 20:33
At least some of us can admit it here on WB. I wouldn't say the majority though:D
well, some people think too much about the wrong things, or rather, they should spend less time thinking about some things and more time thinking about other things.
as a conscious being, it is vital to think about your thinking (metacognition): that is to say, you should think about what you think about, how you think about it, why you think about it and what are the end results of your thoughts. after all "i think therefore i am" is okay, but if you don't ever DO anything, who the hell cares?
:D
Homer&Marje
08-03-2009, 20:38
well, some people think too much about the wrong things, or rather, they should spend less time thinking about some things and more time thinking about other things.
as a conscious being, it is vital to think about your thinking (metacognition): that is to say, you should think about what you think about, how you think about it, why you think about it and what are the end results of your thoughts. after all "i think therefore i am" is okay, but if you don't ever DO anything, who the hell cares?
:D
You think?
One bright day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight and back to back they faced each other, while with a knife and sword they shot each other. The deaf man came 'cause he heard the noise and went and shot them two dead boys. If you don't believe the story is true you can ask the blind man. He saw it too:D
Different Socks
08-03-2009, 21:34
The one and only thing I am afraid of while hiking is getting lost or hurt and not being able to save myself or be saved.
Note: I don't carry GPS, nor cell phone, nor SAT phone. Don't need any of that. Just me, my map and some common sense which comes from that thing that rests on my shoulders.
I've been in some rather bad spots over the years. I'm still here and I'm still hiking.
Warraghiyagey and
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/columnists/jimbaumbach/blog/manbearpig7po.png
My only fears of the trail
Nothing to fear from Manbearpig. I've hiked with him and his dad River1. Nice kid. :)
MikenSalem
08-03-2009, 22:41
My greatest fear is being forced at gunpoint to use a self composting privy, ewe! Or forced to sleep in a shelter/hovel, I didn't leave my nice house to sleep in a bad one I got a hammock and a maccat oh yea....
Nothing to fear from Manbearpig. I've hiked with him and his dad River1. Nice kid. :)
That's good to know. Now the only think left to fear is Warraghiyagey.
beakerman
08-04-2009, 12:47
getting rescued in NH....I can't afford it.
Monkeyboy
08-04-2009, 23:51
My biggest fear is sitting down on a rock and finding out someone smeared their poop all over it to dry it out in the sun versus just following the principles of leave no trace and burying it in a cathole.
Jim Adams
08-05-2009, 01:54
Being fined $25,000 because rescuers don't have a clue as to what equipment is needed for backpacking.
geek
Being fined $25,000 because rescuers don't have a clue as to what equipment is needed for backpacking.
geekI refuse to fear that.:cool:
Being fined $25,000 because rescuers don't have a clue as to what equipment is needed for backpacking.
geek
dang! beat me to it! :p
You think?
One bright day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight and back to back they faced each other, while with a knife and sword they shot each other. The deaf man came 'cause he heard the noise and went and shot them two dead boys. If you don't believe the story is true you can ask the blind man. He saw it too:D
second verse
When you see a hearse go by you get the feeling you’re going to die. They wrap you up in a bloody sheet and then they bury you six feet deep. The first few weeks you’re doing alright and then the bugs began to bite. The worms crawl in the worms crawl out, the worms crawl all over your slimy spout. The bug brown bugs with the big green eyes eat your guts until they die. And as you scream and say no more! A sound of puke hit’s the floor.
Homer&Marje
08-05-2009, 12:40
I see says the blind man to the deaf man as he sticks a quarter into the pocket of the naked man....Oops. It's gone.
That's what I fear....other naked hikers....besides me:D
Running into you guys in the real world
Running into you guys in the real world
Were the crazy guy next door or at least 3 doors down :eek:
Homer&Marje
08-05-2009, 21:29
Mmmmmmmm skinny hikers:rolleyes:
Chaco Taco
08-05-2009, 21:32
Running into you guys in the real world
Esp my favorite WB person:rolleyes:
Esp my favorite WB person:rolleyes:
Geee, who would that be??? :rolleyes:
Mmmmmmmm skinny hikers:rolleyes:
you fear skinny hikers????
Chaco Taco
08-05-2009, 21:33
Geee, who would that be??? :rolleyes:
Hey you are supposed to be workin
Chaco Taco
08-05-2009, 21:34
you fear skinny hikers????
Huh huh, i aint sayin nothin
Hey you are supposed to be workin
They're all asleep, now it's time to goof off! :p
New fear:
Needing some help in NH and not having my Gold Card with me.
They don't do nothin' for free there.
Edit: Dang, should have read this thread more throughly, I'm way late on this sentiment.
SunnyWalker
08-06-2009, 00:39
Trips and falls.
you fear skinny hikers????
see cannibalism thread it's dangerous out there:eek:
Seen someone smearing poop on rocks to dry it out before..........weird, huh?
I'm afraid to sit on rocks
Buzz_Lightfoot
08-06-2009, 13:16
see cannibalism thread it's dangerous out there:eek:
Aye, the fat ones are teh ones to fear! :sun
I'm sorry, but to be on topic, the only real thing I "out there" are other people. Man, the most dangerous animal.
Anumber1
08-06-2009, 15:48
Bears - not afraid of being mauled, just a little worried about them eating all my little debbies while I'm passed out.
Man, the most dangerous animal.\
ain't that the truth. you can prepare for bad weather and somewhat for animals, but you never know *** people are going to do.
Some sort of debilitating medical problem -- i.e. appendicitus, etc. or injury that prevents me from getting out of the woods to assistance.
A few years back we came across a guy at the Onion Valley trailhead (Sierras) who was doubled over in pain. He was in so much pain he could not drive. We drove him down to Independence, CA, for medical assistance. On the way out, he passed out from the pain. If he had been in the woods, I don't know if he would have got out alive.
He was wearing a t-shirt that said "Pain is weakness leaving the body."
slickgoku
08-06-2009, 19:48
My big fear is snakes! Hate when something so tiny can take me down without me even seeing the stupid thing coming!
johnnybgood
08-06-2009, 19:56
Some sort of debilitating medical problem -- i.e. appendicitus, etc. or injury that prevents me from getting out of the woods to assistance.
A few years back we came across a guy at the Onion Valley trailhead (Sierras) who was doubled over in pain. He was in so much pain he could not drive. We drove him down to Independence, CA, for medical assistance. On the way out, he passed out from the pain. If he had been in the woods, I don't know if he would have got out alive.
He was wearing a t-shirt that said "Pain is weakness leaving the body."
Kidney Stones... also very painful and much like appendicitus the onset is fast and debilitating.
Shutterbug
08-06-2009, 21:12
Kidney Stones... also very painful and much like appendicitus the onset is fast and debilitating.
You are so right about kidnew stones. That is the primary reason I fear getting dehydrated. Dehydration causes kidney stones.
I got a kidney stone on the first night of a 3 day solo hike on the Colorado Trail. My choices were to hike back up a steep mountain for one day or continue mostly down hill for two days. I elected the downhill choice. I kept telling myself, "Kidney stones don't kill you." I saw one other person during the two days and he was about a mile away on the other side of the valley. It was the most miserable hike I have ever experienced. The stone had to be surgically removed.
Lightning while crossing a bald.
Non hikers, near trailheads, with a silly simi-toothless grin.
CrumbSnatcher
08-06-2009, 21:26
thanks alot i didn't have any fears hiking til i read this thread!
GeneralLee10
08-06-2009, 21:30
My fear would be running out of TP. And one other (Green) supply that you can't just get in any town.
Red aints...and whimps that can't hike in FL Summer.:o
MikenSalem
08-06-2009, 22:25
If the stone blocks the kidney from draining you can have complications that cause you to cancel Christmas... take the dirt nap... :eek
Wise Old Owl
08-06-2009, 22:27
:D
Mmmmmmmm skinny hikers:rolleyes:
?????????
meeting a voluptuous WB female hiker and explaining my "gee I am happily married"
Big & curvy!
Now that's a fear!:D
saimyoji
08-07-2009, 01:00
My fear would be running out of TP. And one other (Green) supply that you can't just get in any town.
are you referring to refer? because that would be illegal and against the TOS of this site. not to mention sending a bad message to the younger hikers that may view this site. you should be ashamed of yourself. live your own life, but you don't have to make everyone aware of all your illegal actions. :rolleyes:
are you referring to refer? because that would be illegal and against the TOS of this site. not to mention sending a bad message to the younger hikers that may view this site. you should be ashamed of yourself. live your own life, but you don't have to make everyone aware of all your illegal actions. :rolleyes:
You sure he wasn't talking about biodegradable soap? You just can't get that anywhere..protect or streams and lakes...so quick to pull out the illegal stuff...shame just shameful...you wash your green spirit clean lndwlkr... saimyoji is just a non-green cleaner
are you referring to refer? because that would be illegal and against the TOS of this site. not to mention sending a bad message to the younger hikers that may view this site. you should be ashamed of yourself. live your own life, but you don't have to make everyone aware of all your illegal actions. :rolleyes:
Grow up, kids would'nt know what he was talking about anyway.
Tipi Walter
08-07-2009, 09:37
Lightning while crossing a bald.
Non hikers, near trailheads, with a silly simi-toothless grin.
Now that you mention it: Dayhikers, that peculiar on-the-go bunch who can't stay out overnight and rush from their cars back to their cars in the same day. Infant leathered wannabe-racers on motorcycles, screaming along rural roads below the trail, contributing to the usual noise pollution. You can hear the Dragon's Anus all around the Smokies and the Citico/Slickrock.
are you referring to refer? because that would be illegal and against the TOS of this site. not to mention sending a bad message to the younger hikers that may view this site. you should be ashamed of yourself. live your own life, but you don't have to make everyone aware of all your illegal actions. :rolleyes:
Nothing to get hung about. Heck, it could be for medicinal use. Grown legally in California, by the way.
It's funny to me it's ok to talk about alcohol which kills brain cells and leaves you with liver cancer, but its somehow in appropriate to talk about something which god made, does not cause long cancer and does not kill brain cells. One causes domestic abuse one employs junk food companies. Simply because one is illegal it is demonized, while the other actually is the demonizer.
My fear....hiking solo in WV and hearing banjo music getting closer!
Alligator
08-07-2009, 13:02
It's funny to me it's ok to talk about alcohol which kills brain cells and leaves you with liver cancer, but its somehow in appropriate to talk about something which god made, does not cause long cancer and does not kill brain cells. One causes domestic abuse one employs junk food companies. Simply because one is illegal it is demonized, while the other actually is the demonizer.Do you think Saimyoji cares or do you think he is just trolling to get people to respond so they break the user agreement?
Move back to fears folks nothing to see here. Just close your eyes and maybe the guy with the hockey mask will do you quick:D.
Do you think Saimyoji cares or do you think he is just trolling to get people to respond so they break the user agreement?
Move back to fears folks nothing to see here. Just close your eyes and maybe the guy with the hockey mask will do you quick:D.
Love it when the gator bites :banana
Alligator
08-07-2009, 13:12
Love it when the gator bites :bananaGotta nip it in the bud:D.
Gotta nip it in the bud:D.
that's not a green bud now? lol:D
superman
08-07-2009, 14:47
Um...so which is evil? ...Saimyoji or the illegal weed or is it talking about either of them. It's all so confusing.:confused:
leeki pole
08-07-2009, 14:51
One of my biggest fears...completing a hike and arriving back at my vehicle to find it vandalized. Oh yeah...and it's getting dark, the parking area is empty, and you have to walk 6 more miles down a forest service road to arrive at a lonely country road. Then you have to hitch 10 more miles into a town. :(
I gotta agree with this. I've spent my whole life in the woods and the back 40 and in the country, I even leave my keys in my truck that's unlocked. If a neighbor needs it, they borrow it, no questions asked, fill it up with gas and bring it back. I wish all of our country would have this perspective.
I gotta agree with this. I've spent my whole life in the woods and the back 40 and in the country, I even leave my keys in my truck that's unlocked. If a neighbor needs it, they borrow it, no questions asked, fill it up with gas and bring it back. I wish all of our country would have this perspective.
so true.. but unfortunately there are more and more idiots in the world. And it's not always teens sometimes it's 20 to 90 plus folks. Which we should know better but choose to be idiots
Alligator
08-07-2009, 15:22
Um...so which is evil? ...Saimyoji or the illegal weed or is it talking about either of them. It's all so confusing.:confused:Let me clear it up for you. Trying to stir up a legalization fight over a minor comment is something we'd prefer folks didn't do. If someone feels like a person's post somehow violates the terms of service, they can contact a moderator or use the report post. No point in interrupting a thread over it.
Wise Old Owl
08-07-2009, 15:30
If the person who is offending you, or is consistant in posting things that you do not need to read please put them on ignore, then you don't need to see it unless its accidently quoted. You cannot get along with everybody so it's much easier to block a few that irritate or post bumb stuff. There are at least 5- 6 people that I have on ignore for good reasoning, I am sure there are some people here that have me on ignore. I would like to get along with everyone -
Now back to fears.......... Are you on ignore?:D
You are so right about kidnew stones. That is the primary reason I fear getting dehydrated. Dehydration causes kidney stones.
I got a kidney stone on the first night of a 3 day solo hike on the Colorado Trail. My choices were to hike back up a steep mountain for one day or continue mostly down hill for two days. I elected the downhill choice. I kept telling myself, "Kidney stones don't kill you." I saw one other person during the two days and he was about a mile away on the other side of the valley. It was the most miserable hike I have ever experienced. The stone had to be surgically removed.
I've had kidney stones 3 times....and I wasn't dehydrated any of those times! I wouldnt wish that pain on anyone! The last time I had one, I did give in and go to the ER....The doc was kinda funny, once he looked at the image from the CT Scan, he declared to me that he had never seen a stone so big! I thought, thanks, that makes me feel tons better....NOT!
I will say though, that they have never hit me while out on a hike...I wouldnt like that very much at all!
ShelterLeopard
08-07-2009, 17:56
I'd still say that my biggest fear is being stuck with no food but granola in my pack.
After reading the thread about the hiker who died in the Grand Canyon, I reflected on my greatest concerns while hiking. I concluded that there are really only three:
Dehydration -- A lot of the places I hike are hot and dry. Making sure I have enough water is always near the top of my list of concerns.
Falling -- Perhaps it is because I took a nasty fall a few years ago, but I often think about how long it will take to be found if I take a fall off the edge of the trail.
Hypothermia -- I don't hike a lot in the winter, but start early in the spring and into the fall. I pay attention to staying warm and dry.
What are your fears when hiking?Mountain Grouse.....
Being trapped in a shelter during a severe storm with Jack and Warren! :eek:whew, scarry!
i fear running into any of you mutts who might take anything i said here seriously... :)
Chaco Taco
08-11-2009, 09:22
So this changed for me at 2:45 am this morning. Me and Little Bear were at Watauga Lake. Hiked in under headlamp last night at 10pm. Set up and and went to sleep. At 2:45 this morning, the roof of my tent came down on me. I woke up and yelled out. I sat in the tent afraid to get out because what had come down on my tent was big. I got out with my headlamp and noticed something had broken my tent pole. I climbed back in thinking it was a deer or something that had run into my tent. When i got back in I noticed my food bag was gone and the spot it had been in had a huge hole with saliva all over my tent. I looked out with my headlamp and saw a big round body and eyes looking back at us. It appeared that the bear was stalking us. We packed up in 2 seconds and ran out of the woods and back to the car. So I have this huge hole in the corner of my tent and a broken pole, the bear just ate through the pole. The food bag was 2 next to my head while I slept!!!!
So this changed for me at 2:45 am this morning. Me and Little Bear were at Watauga Lake. Hiked in under headlamp last night at 10pm. Set up and and went to sleep. At 2:45 this morning, the roof of my tent came down on me. I woke up and yelled out. I sat in the tent afraid to get out because what had come down on my tent was big. I got out with my headlamp and noticed something had broken my tent pole. I climbed back in thinking it was a deer or something that had run into my tent. When i got back in I noticed my food bag was gone and the spot it had been in had a huge hole with saliva all over my tent. I looked out with my headlamp and saw a big round body and eyes looking back at us. It appeared that the bear was stalking us. We packed up in 2 seconds and ran out of the woods and back to the car. So I have this huge hole in the corner of my tent and a broken pole, the bear just ate through the pole. The food bag was 2 next to my head while I slept!!!!
The reason i dont sleep with my food!
Wolf - 23000
08-11-2009, 12:35
My biggest fear about hiking has always been finishing and never being able to come back and do the same or new trail again.
Wolf
ShelterLeopard
08-11-2009, 17:51
I really have no trail fears (except the granola thing) but there are plenty of things that I wouldn't want to see on the trail. Shelter mice, for instance. Grrrr..... Darn little hole chewers.
Lone Wolf
08-11-2009, 20:09
i will always sleep with my food. i'm intelligent. hanging food is not the way
i will always sleep with my food. i'm intelligent. hanging food is not the way
do you hike with a dog?
Lone Wolf
08-11-2009, 20:48
do you hike with a dog?
no. it's inhumane
do you hike with a dog?I asked her to hike with me, but she wouldn't. We divorced the next year.
Hikerhead
08-11-2009, 23:23
Getting rescued and my name gets in the paper and then posted on Whiteblaze.
High Altitude
08-12-2009, 19:23
Stepping on or getting bit by a poisonous snake or bug.
I came within a half of step, literally 6" above, of stepping on a rattle snake. He never moved or rattled. The trail was severely over grown.
I backed up and threw a rock at the snake. He coiled right up and started to rattle. Eventually he slithered off the trail.
I was solo and lots of miles from any trail head.
Bear Cables
08-12-2009, 19:26
exposure to severe thunderstorms
Treehugger23
08-12-2009, 20:05
I agree! It's my only real fear. What could you do if it happened?
Chaco Taco
08-13-2009, 19:09
i will always sleep with my food. i'm intelligent. hanging food is not the way
Yea hung my food last night because of the amount of scat around. I will only hang in bear season. Fall and winter, Ill probably still keep my food with me cuz mice can climb trees too
Chaco Taco
08-13-2009, 19:11
exposure to severe thunderstorms
When I went over Goose Eye last year, I was surrounded by lightening. I dont know if you have been up there but it just a rocky bald thingy. I squated down and started running.
summermike
08-13-2009, 21:54
I was caught on a ridge in a severe thunderstorm on the CDT in New Mexico. I watched strikes hit the ground eight feet from where I was squatting down.
Normally I love thunderstorms but it took me quite a while to get over that and back to loving them again.
Wise Old Owl
08-13-2009, 22:36
blazing a new trail with the latest Bear Grillis...
When I went over Goose Eye last year, I was surrounded by lightening. I dont know if you have been up there but it just a rocky bald thingy. I squated down and started running.
Wow, that sounds scary. Were you able to dig a cathole before you squated and started running?
Wise Old Owl
08-13-2009, 23:03
Wow, that sounds scary. Were you able to dig a cathole before you squated and started running?
Not funny - when you can bivy in a lightening storm (cold front) and the **** is coming down around you. Then you can laugh.
Been there - Done that.
Not funny - when you can bivy in a lightening storm (cold front) and the **** is coming down around you. Then you can laugh.
Been there - Done that.
Sorry, I didn't know a funny judge was on duty.
Wise Old Owl
08-13-2009, 23:36
Sorry, I didn't know a funny judge was on duty.
You are a successful Person.... damn it's been a while since someone had a topper!
Lightening is scary and should be taken seriously. Thats for sure. A bald or peak is NOT the place to be. When you can feel the static in the air and the hairs on your arms and back of your neck are standing up, you better move.
Monkeyboy
08-14-2009, 08:35
Uhhh....no. If you feel the hairs on your arms standing up, it's too late to move. Now it's time for you to squat down and get on the balls of your feet to make as little contact with the ground as possible.
huh, my posts were deleted....figures. oh well.
Yeah, lightening on open summits is one of my fears, and believe it or not, so is bears being around my tent at nite.
Monkeyboy
08-14-2009, 08:39
What about bears around your tent during a stormy night on an open summit?
What about bears around your tent during a stormy night on an open summit?
that would about top it....
Monkeyboy
08-14-2009, 11:56
Did I mention the bears had freakin' laser beams...........
Uhhh....no. If you feel the hairs on your arms standing up, it's too late to move. Now it's time for you to squat down and get on the balls of your feet to make as little contact with the ground as possible.
Well, I quess we need some expert advice.
Monkeyboy
08-14-2009, 16:34
Not argueing about getting the heck off of bald or peak during a storm, but as I said, when your hair starts to stand on end, it's too late....you are already a target.
You should squat immediately and get as much of your feet off the ground as possible to minimize the grounding effect.
My biggest fear is not about myself, but about my husband. He has coronary heart disease. While he incourages me to do my thing, I always worry about him.
Myself? I guess water, getting lost, and hypothermia. I was close to hypothermia this year when I got off in VA soaking wet from days of rain.
Chaco Taco
08-14-2009, 18:28
Wow, that sounds scary. Were you able to dig a cathole before you squated and started running?
I didnt have to dig a cathole I nearly pooped by pants:D
superman
08-14-2009, 18:38
I didnt have to dig a cathole I nearly pooped by pants:D
So...then you would have packed it out?:D
I didnt have to dig a cathole I nearly pooped by pants:D
So...then you would have packed it out?:D
yep, but there is never a purple piper pecker pooper packer pacifer around when you need one - pathetic
Chaco Taco
08-15-2009, 16:35
So...then you would have packed it out?:D
It was packed in my pants
Monkeyboy
08-15-2009, 21:35
Cuts down on your pack weight that way...........
superman
08-15-2009, 22:00
Cuts down on your pack weight that way...........
A pound in your pants is worth how much in your pack?:)
Jayboflavin04
08-15-2009, 23:36
Melting my sons shoes while trying to dry them by the fire!
I hear yaz on the lightning thing. When I was in the roller coaster I was on the ridge running to try to get to the blackburn center before I got hit by one of those bolts. My brother and I got caught in a nasty storm at night and every lightning bolt lit up everything around us and scared the $hit out of me but I needed to make it to the blackburn.We made it alive and well.
Dances with Mice
08-17-2009, 13:30
My greatest fear?
That I'll be walking down a trail, y'know, minding my own business then Geraldo Rivera jumps out from behind a tree, shoves a microphone in my face and asks me about that 3HP electric motor that disappeared after the mechanical treatment project was cancelled.
middle to middle
08-17-2009, 13:53
Geraldo is scary but I am more afraid of running out of water so I can't make coffee.
My greatest fear?
That I'll be walking down a trail, y'know, minding my own business then Geraldo Rivera jumps out from behind a tree, shoves a microphone in my face and asks me about that 3HP electric motor that disappeared after the mechanical treatment project was cancelled.
Your the kind of person that gives me nightmares and I like it.
Jonnycat
08-18-2009, 10:57
Geraldo is scary but I am more afraid of running out of water so I can't make coffee.
Oh man, if you're going to post stuff like that you really need a disclaimer on it! :eek:
/breathes deeply, imagines happy place surrounded by full mugs of coffee....
Studies show that it's very dangerous to sleep outside in a tent
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/study_74_of_children_tenting_out
Nomaderwhat
08-22-2009, 21:54
A lot of these snakes give warning bites, and release a smaller amount of venom if any. Plus, they are unlikely to bite unless you step on them. I'm sure there are handbooks on just what to do though.
PSy BaSS
08-25-2009, 17:59
Don't know if you have them in the states but I'm scared of drop bears!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULEQpUY_crc
Whiskey Ninja
08-25-2009, 22:46
Banjos and hiking into dry counties although almost every dry county I hit, the shine was easy to locate.....so just banjos.
Bulldawg
08-25-2009, 22:52
Just remember, "Don't hate the hiker, find your trail karma"!
Wise Old Owl
08-25-2009, 22:56
clouds of mosquitos - West Nile, Malaria.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-A7-TY0PBXs/SjSlt7Ux79I/AAAAAAAAARE/ucVLYZ95LdA/s400/DSC00928.JPG
Getting caught sleeping on the discus pad in the middle of the Dartmouth practice field instead of Velvet Rocks (where there is no water) So far, I have gotten away with it twice '02 and '08 but the last time - the sprinklers came on at 3:00 AM too! :)
freefall
08-26-2009, 07:04
I'd have to say my biggest fear would be dehydration.
And serial killers.
My only fear was mice chewing holes in my backpack, tent, dry socks, etc....
Varmints!
Tuckahoe
08-26-2009, 07:34
ZOMBIES!!!:eek:
freefall
08-26-2009, 08:08
ZOMBIES!!!:eek:
There's a ridge walk in VA that has piles of rocks all along the way. The folks I was hiking with kept referring to them as zombie pods. I don't remember exactly where, it's after a stile and pasture crossing and near a shelter that is .3+/- straight down.
So, I guess I have to add zombies to my list too!:eek:
chefjason
08-26-2009, 09:07
Not being able to check my email, and change my FB status, and make post on WB, and reading all the goings on in the world like ***** FINALLY making this world a better place, and sitting in the living room listening to my twins watch CARTOONS on the 60" plasma I bought to watch football on....wait, did I read this wrong. Are we supposed to be saying what we are affraid of?! Crap. That's easy...Big Foot.
Gray Blazer
08-26-2009, 09:39
BTW, I'm not afraid of anything on the AT (I am phobic of homos).
buff_jeff
08-26-2009, 19:17
going home
Rockhound
08-26-2009, 19:26
My greatest fear is that I will not be able to control my rage and decide to choke the crap out of the next a-hole that decides to set their alarm for 5:00 am. You are in nature. Wake up naturally. If you are all about schedules and miles you really don't get it. Pick another hobby. By the way those 5:00 AMers are the same hypocrites that will whine and moan if anyone decides to stay up 1 minute later than hiker midnight.
Lone Wolf
08-26-2009, 19:34
My greatest fear is that I will not be able to control my rage and decide to choke the crap out of the next a-hole that decides to set their alarm for 5:00 am. You are in nature. Wake up naturally. If you are all about schedules and miles you really don't get it. Pick another hobby. By the way those 5:00 AMers are the same hypocrites that will whine and moan if anyone decides to stay up 1 minute later than hiker midnight.
maybe you shouldn't stay in an unnatural shelter
dreamsoftrails
08-26-2009, 21:22
My greatest fear is that I will not be able to control my rage and decide to choke the crap out of the next a-hole that decides to set their alarm for 5:00 am. You are in nature. Wake up naturally. If you are all about schedules and miles you really don't get it. Pick another hobby. By the way those 5:00 AMers are the same hypocrites that will whine and moan if anyone decides to stay up 1 minute later than hiker midnight.
desire is a very natural human phenomenon. desiring to wake up at a certain time is very natural. :D
and what wolf said.
jersey joe
08-26-2009, 21:32
My biggest fear wasn't even a concern when I began my thru hike. It turned out to be getting caught in a storm and hit by lightning.
ShelterLeopard
08-26-2009, 22:39
BTW, I'm not afraid of anything on the AT (I am phobic of homos).
What, homo sapiens? I'm terrified of them too- thinking + man = disaster...
aquaman1208
08-26-2009, 22:51
Having a cache discovered and rifled after a long day is very depressing and I was lost in the Grand Canyon for three days with electrolyte problems that caused severe cramping but the thing I fear is farm dogs or wild dogs. I've had to fend them off a few times and they can be very persistent.
What are your fears when hiking?
that i will eventually have to go home
Rockhound
08-27-2009, 08:31
How ya gettin' there? Sea plane?
How ya gettin' there? Sea plane?
no regular plane. i only use the sea plane for pink blazing...:banana
Lone Wolf
08-27-2009, 09:04
who's the lucky lady?
sorry. reverse pink-blazing...